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Thursday, November 29, 2012

Anyone who knows me or has followed this blog for very long, knows that I'm a lifelong lover of books and reading.

I'm actually a day late in linking up with Oh, How Pinteresting, hosted by the Vintage Apple, but I'm going ahead and doing so, to show you some beautiful book- and reading-related images I've seen on Pinterest lately!

Friday, November 16, 2012

The truth is, I have been an Anglophile ("one who greatly admires or favors England and things English")--http://www.merriam-webster.com/) for a very long time.

I suppose it all began in the third grade, when my family moved to Beirut, Lebanon to be missionaries. There was a long waiting list to get into the city's only American school, so my parents enrolled us in Manor House School, and a very proper British school it was.

I can remember nervously sitting in the lobby, facing a large portrait of Queen Elizabeth. I remember my first teacher, Miss Diamond, who insisted I pronounce words like "aunt" properly ("No, no, no, not 'ant'...an 'ant' is a little creature that crawls on the ground").

I remember Miss Gardiner, my next teacher, who terrified me. She was stocky and stern, wore her iron-gray hair in a braid that encircled her head, and she wore "chunky" shoes long before they were popular. Math was a hellish nightmare for me, because my fellow-students had learned their multiplication tables in kindergarten, and I was just now trying to learn mine. Agonizing.

But somehow I survived the trauma of adjusting to a British school, and I grew to enjoy many aspects of it. I loved my fellow students, many of whom were British, Australian or South African. And Manor House gave the gift of literature to a child who was already a voracious reader.

When fifth grade rolled around, I transferred to the American school. But somehow the love of "things English" had wormed its way into my heart, and it has never let go.

I love the British way of wording things, so it's no surprise that many of my favorite authors are British. From Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte to C. S. Lewis, Agatha Christie, Enid Blyton, Noel Streatfield, Mary Stewart (Victoria Holt, Maeve Binchy (Irish, but still...), Rosamunde Pilcher and (more contemporarily) Katie Fforde...the British world is one I enjoy visiting for the duration of a book. I just love immersing myself in that atmosphere.

Two of my favorite childhood books, both of which I have been able to find on the internet in recent years, were both British: Red Knights from Hy Brasil and Auntie Robbo by Ann Scott-Moncrieff.

Speaking of British authors, are there any Christian British authors? If so, please recommend them to me. (I know of only one that I can think of...Sam Yarney, whose Ninety Days I read and enjoyed.)

As for British humor--well, I know it can get bawdy at times, but I find the uniquely British turn of phrase often makes funny things even funnier. I've done my share of laughing at Monty Python, the British version of "The Office," and various British movies (About a Boy, with Hugh Grant, comes to mind immediately, but there are many others.)

And the accent. Don't even get me started. You could read the dictionary to me in a British accent and I could listen all day!

My dream is to someday take a tour of the UK that will let me visit England, Ireland and Scotland. Until then, I'll curl up with my British books or watch a British movie, a cup of Earl Grey tea in hand...

Monday, November 12, 2012

I've often mentioned on this blog that I spent a couple of years in Beirut, Lebanon when I was a little girl (my parents were missionaries.) One of my favorite links to that era in my life is Edgar Feghaly and now his wife Roseann. Edgar, or Eddie as we called him, was a teen-ager when I was a little girl in Lebanon. Now he heads up an amazing ministry to people in Arab countries. He was the special speaker at our church's missions conference this past week, so my husband and I were able to spend time with him and Roseann. It was a wonderful time of reminiscing about two years that made a lasting impression on my life. Edgar and Roseann have literally risked their lives to bring the good news of Christ's love to the Middle East. I love and respect them deeply!

Edgar and Roseann Feghaly, me and my husband Doug

I believe I've found the best tea-bag tea I've ever tasted! Doug and I were at Olive Garden one night when I decided to have a cup of tea. It was Tetley Orange Peach tea, and it was incredible. It only took one sip for me to realize that this tea was in a class by itself. I looked in almost every Rockford grocery store to find it, and couldn't. So I ordered it online, and I don't regret it for a moment. A cup of this tea is like a treat!

November is special for many things, but one of them is the birthday of my precious little grandson, Josiah. (We call him JD most of the time.) He turned 3 on November 9th. I wish I could have been at him Thomas the Tank-themed party, but I console myself that we're going to spend Thanksgiving with him and his family.

He is such a sunny little fellow...I love so much! Happy birthday, JD!

I love this little boy so much!

The last time I went to my doctor and had my A1C (a 3 month test of how my blood sugar is doing--I'm a Type 2 Diabetic), I did NOT like the trend I was seeing. My blood sugar was still in the safe zone, but it was definitely rising. While diabetes is a degenerative disease, I realized there were things I could do better in the areas of managing my eating and increasing my exercise.

I resolved to do both, and a key component was joining the site, My Fitness Pal. I've always kept track of what I was eating..but what I didn't realize was just how many calories I was consuming! My Fitness Pal has made me accountable in both eating and exercise. I've lost 8 pounds so far (it's taken about a month, so I'm losing slowly and safely) and hope to lose a total of 20 by the time I visit my doc again in January. I can't say enough good things about this site. What's great is that you can also use it as an app on your smartphone. I recommend it highly!

Monday, November 05, 2012

One of the greatest thing about scarves is how they can completely change an outfit. Case in point: what I wore today.

Black V-neck sweater. Black pencil skirt. Black tights and shoes.

Here's what it looked like, pre-scarf:

Look at the difference when I added a leopard-print scarf I got at Target last year. I simply draped it over my shoulders and secured it in the front by slipping the ends through a $1.99 ring I got a while back at a beauty supply store.

Scarf: Target

V-Neck: Ann Taylor Outlet

Skirt: New York and Company a few years ago

I think the scarf is actually slimming, as it slightly minimized my large chest area and draws the eye downward, somewhat elongating the silhouette. (Don't I sound Tim Gunn-esque?)

I love leopard print anyway, and I also like the touches of red in the scarf that bring some brightness to the outfit.

The ring I'm using to hold the scarf ends together is so big and a little crazy, so I never wear it as a ring...but I think it works fine in this capacity.